A Draft Warms Them Up

RED SOX NOTEBOOK

Fantasy Football Rules Clubhouse

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Terry Francona can still see the play unfolding in front of him. His team was on the verge of a championship. Then, in a flash, all was lost.

``Screen pass,'' Francona lamented in the visiting manager's office Tuesday at Tropicana Field. ``The guy went about 80 yards. If he only gets 40, we win. It absolutely killed us.''

Jets running back Leon Washington was the source of Francona's ire. His 64-yard screen pass with less than two minutes left last Christmas night doomed Francona and Red Sox director of performance enhancement Dan Kalkstein to fantasy football defeat.

Instead, Gabe Kapler and Doug Mirabelli celebrated.

From the team's perspective, there were no losers. The annual fantasy football draft has become a highly anticipated part of the season, a chance for teammates and coaches to bond while breaking up the monotony of a long season.

Tuesday night, after the Red Sox played the Devil Rays, the draft was held in the visitors clubhouse. For the past two days, the impending draft dominated chatter in the clubhouse, which was as loose and relaxed as it has been all season.

Dustin Pedroia and partner Kyle Snyder had the first pick: Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

``I think any time you can find something that brings guys together from different walks of life, different cultures, with a common interest, it's fun,'' said Kalkstein, who with Francona and ``Director of Latin Player Development'' David Ortiz, had the sixth pick in a 12-team league.

Designed for entertainment purposes only, the league is also useful for welcoming newcomers. Jonathan Papelbon recruited Bobby Kielty as his partner, despite Kielty only being on the team for a few days.

``When guys come to this clubhouse and they're new, they don't feel new for very long,'' Francona said. ``We had to do some finagling, because we didn't want anyone left out. [Eric] Gagne is in. We want that.

``ESPN wanted to tape it. No. This is for us. This isn't to show the world. That's why it probably works.''

Triple Time

One night off did wonders for Ortiz's legs. In the first inning, Ortiz tripled for the first time this season, punctuating his drive to center by sliding hard into third base. It was Ortiz's ninth triple since joining the Red Sox and 12th in his career.

``He can get going when he needs to,'' Francona said. ``I think he felt that triple for about five innings. He can get them moving. You just put your seatbelt on for the vibrations. You have to play the game. You could see it coming. He had it in front of him and he could see that he could make it.''

Ortiz's wheels were prominent Tuesday. He put his red 2005 Mercedez Benz up for auction on eBay. The opening bid is $169,000. The auction ends at 6:49 p.m. Thursday. Ortiz will deliver the car, originally valued at $205,000, to the buyer at Fenway Park, along with the keys and the title, according to the listing.